Golf game and method of game play using same

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed to an apparatus and a method of game play for an amusement game wherein participants attempt to project a game piece into a receptacle and may include a game piece adapted to be projected by the at least one participant, a plurality of game figures, and a game base. The game base may include a plurality of first receptacles disposed in an upper surface of the game base, and each first receptacle may be adapted to receive one of the game figures and to retain the corresponding figure alternately in an upwardly extended position and in a retracted position, and may also include a second receptacle adapted to receive the game piece. Each of the plurality of game figures may be adapted to engage the corresponding one of the plurality of first receptacles when the game figure is disposed in the upwardly extended position such that the game figure may disengage from the corresponding one of the plurality of first receptacles and move to the retracted position when the game figure is impacted by the projected game piece.

BACKGROUND

[0001] The patent is directed to a golf game, and more particularly to agolf game wherein the participants knock down figures or hit a golf ballaround figures in order to putt a golf ball into a hole or cup.

[0002] Various games wherein participants direct a ball or otherprojected game piece at various targets have been previously described.For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,541,980 to Luber discloses a game deviceincluding a game board having three openings, each having acorresponding value, and with the body of the game board having aninclined position so that balls may be rolled up the incline to dropinto any of the holes. The holes may each have an associated cup member,which is hinged at a lower edge and frictionally engaged by the gameboard at its top. When a ball is projected through the opening, itstrikes the cup and disengages the cup from the lip of the game board toallow the cup to drop to an open position and retain the ball.

[0003] U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,894 to McCraw discloses a game playable byone or more players in which the level of skill necessary for successmay be selectively varied. The game includes a disk-shaped piece foreach of the players, a fortress structure which may serve as a targetdepending upon player strategy, a plurality of cup-shaped traps disposedaround the fortress for blocking or confining pieces, and a plurality ofmagnetic parasites for effecting travel of pieces moving in closeproximity thereto. The fortress is preferably in the form of a truncatedcone of polygonal cross-section, and it includes an upper, generallyplanar safe area adapted to receive pieces. Nubs provided around thesafe area circumference may be oriented as desired to vary the level ofdifficulty by rotating the fortress. The difficulty level is furtherresponsive to variations in fortress height, deployment of additionalnubs, and additional use of a fence. Strategy involves wounding ofopposing players by contacting their pieces with one's own.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] In one aspect, the invention is directed to an electronic gamewherein participants take turns projecting a ball in an attempt to putthe ball in a hole. The electronic game may include a ball, a pluralityof game figures, and a base. The base may include a plurality of firstreceptacles disposed in an upper surface of the base, wherein each firstreceptacle may be adapted to receive one of the game figures and toretain the corresponding figure alternately in an upwardly extendedposition and in a retracted position, and a figure lift mechanism thatmay be adapted to move the plurality of game figures from the retractedposition to the upwardly extended position. The base may further includea plurality of figure drop switches, wherein each figure drop switch maybe disposed within one of the first receptacles and may have a firstfigure state when the corresponding one of the game figures is disposedin the upwardly extended position and a second figure state when thecorresponding one of the game figures is disposed in the retractedposition. Still further, the base may include a second receptacleadapted to receive the ball, a ball drop switch disposed within thesecond receptacle and having a first ball state when the ball is notdisposed in the second receptacle and a second ball state when the ballis disposed in the second receptacle, and a ball return mechanismdisposed within the second receptacle that may be adapted to project theball disposed in the second receptacle from the second receptacle. Thebase may also include a motor operatively connected to the figure liftmechanism and to the ball return mechanism, a speaker being adapted tooutput sounds, and a controller operatively coupled to the plurality offigure drop switches, the ball drop switch, the motor and the speaker.

[0005] The controller of the base may be programmed to detect the firstand the second ball states of the ball drop switch, and to activate themotor to drive the lift mechanism and the ball return mechanism upondetecting the second ball state of the ball drop switch. The controllermay also be programmed to detect the first and the second figure statesof the plurality of figure drop switches, to cause the speaker to outputa first prompt sound corresponding to one of the game figures beingdisposed in the upwardly extended position when the controller detectsthe corresponding one of the game figure drop switches having the firstfigure state, and to cause the speaker to output a second prompt soundcorresponding to one of the game figures being disposed in the retractedposition when the controller detects the corresponding one of the gamefigure drop switches having the second figure state.

[0006] In another aspect, the invention is directed to an amusement gamefor use by at least one game participant and may include a game pieceadapted to be projected by the at least one participant, a plurality ofgame figures, and a game base. The game base may include a plurality offirst receptacles disposed in an upper surface of the game base, andeach first receptacle may be adapted to receive one of the game figuresand to retain the corresponding figure alternately in an upwardlyextended position and in a retracted position, and may also include asecond receptacle adapted to receive the game piece. Each of theplurality of game figures may be adapted to engage the corresponding oneof the plurality of first receptacles when the game figure is disposedin the upwardly extended position such that the game figure maydisengage from the corresponding one of the plurality of firstreceptacles and move to the retracted position when the game figure isimpacted by the projected game piece.

[0007] In a further aspect, the invention is directed to a method ofgame play for an electronic game wherein participants attempt to projecta game piece into a first receptacle in a base of the electronic game.The method may include providing a plurality of game figures and aplurality of second receptacles adapted to receive one of the gamefigures, wherein the game figures may be disposed in an upwardlyextended position within the second receptacles, and prompting aparticipant to project the game piece toward the first receptacle. Themethod may also include determining whether the projected game pieceengaged one of the game figures such that the game figure moved from theupwardly extended position to a retracted position within thecorresponding second receptacle, and outputting a knocked down figuresound corresponding to the one of the game figures engaged by theprojected game piece and moved to the retracted position afterdetermining that the one of the game figures was engaged by the gamepiece. Further, the method may include determining whether the projectedgame piece is disposed within the first receptacle, and outputting anend-of-round sound after determining that the game piece is disposed inthe first receptacle.

[0008] Additional aspects of the invention are defined by the claims ofthis patent.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009]FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a golf gamein accordance with the invention;

[0010]FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the game of FIG. 1;

[0011]FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the base of the game of FIG.1 with the housing removed;

[0012]FIG. 4 is an exploded view of one of the figures, stationarycylinders and rotating cylinders of the game of FIG. 1;

[0013]FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of one of the figures of thegame of FIG. 1;

[0014]FIG. 6 is a front cross-sectional view through line 6--6 of one ofthe stationary cylinders of the game of FIG. 1;

[0015]FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view through line 7--7 of one ofthe stationary cylinders of the game of FIG. 2;

[0016]FIG. 8 is a top view of one of the stationary cylinders of thegame of FIG. 1;

[0017]FIG. 9 is side cross-sectional view through line 9--9 of one ofthe stationary cylinders of the game of FIG. 1, with one of the figuresin an upwardly extended position;

[0018]FIG. 10 is side cross-sectional view through line 10--10 of one ofthe stationary cylinders of the game of FIG. 1, with one of the figuresin a retracted position;

[0019]FIG. 11 is top view of one of the rotating cylinders of the gameof FIG. 1;

[0020]FIG. 12 is a front perspective view of a return mechanism of thegame of FIG.

[0021]FIG. 13 is block diagram of the electronic components of the gameof FIG. 1; and

[0022]FIG. 14 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a routine that may beperformed during game play of the game of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

[0023] Although the following text sets forth a detailed description ofnumerous different embodiments of the invention, it should be understoodthat the legal scope of the invention is defined by the words of theclaims set forth at the end of this patent. The detailed description isto be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possibleembodiment of the invention since describing every possible embodimentwould be impractical, if not impossible. Numerous alternativeembodiments could be implemented, using either current technology ortechnology developed after the filing date of this patent, which wouldstill fall within the scope of the claims defining the invention.

[0024] It should also be understood that, unless a term is expresslydefined in this patent using the sentence “As used herein, the term‘______’ is hereby defined to mean . . . ” or a similar sentence, thereis no intent to limit the meaning of that term, either expressly or byimplication, beyond its plain or ordinary meaning, and such term shouldnot be interpreted to be limited in scope based on any statement made inany section of this patent (other than the language of the claims). Tothe extent that any term recited in the claims at the end of this patentis referred to in this patent in a manner consistent with a singlemeaning, that is done for sake of clarity only so as to not confuse thereader, and it is not intended that such claim term by limited, byimplication or otherwise, to that single meaning. Finally, unless aclaim element is defined by reciting the word “means” and a functionwithout the recital of any structure, it is not intended that the scopeof any claim element be interpreted based on the application of 35U.S.C. § 112, sixth paragraph.

[0025]FIG. 1 illustrates one possible embodiment of a golf game 10 inaccordance with the invention. In the illustrated embodiment, the game10 is configured to depict an elevated putting green having a hole orcup surrounded by a plurality of gopher holes each being occupied by agopher. Initially, the gophers' heads are sticking up out of their holessuch that the gophers obstruct the path to the cup. The gophers andgopher holes may be spaced to prevent the ball from reaching the cupwhile the gophers are sticking out of the holes, or spaced so that aputt struck at a given angle can pass between the gophers. To play thegame 10, the participants take turns putting the ball at the green withthe putter. The game 10 may play sounds simulating the gophers talkingto the participants. When a putted ball hits the gopher with sufficientforce, the gopher is dislodged and drops down into the correspondinghole. When a gopher is knocked down, a sound may be played to simulatethe gopher in the hole, such as the sound of the gopher's voice enhancedwith an accompanying echo.

[0026] The participants continue taking turns until one of theparticipants putts the ball into the cup and is awarded points. When theball is putted into the cup, a switch in the cup may be closed, causinga motor within the game 10 to drive a ball return mechanism that ejectsthe ball from the cup and back toward the participants. The motor mayalso drive a mechanism to reset the gophers with their heads stickingout of their respective holes. The game is repeated until one of theparticipants attains a predetermined winning point total. While shown asbeing configured to depict a golf putting green, the game 10 may beconfigured to depict other sports. For example, the game 10 may beconfigured to depict a hockey rink or soccer field with defensemenand/or a goalie sticking up, and having a hockey puck or soccer ballthat is projected toward a goal. Similarly, the game 10 may simulateother sports, games, or real and imaginary scenarios while implementingthe game in accordance with the invention.

[0027] Returning to the illustrated embodiment, the golf game 10 mayinclude a base 12 having a plurality of game FIGS. 14, 16, 18 disposedtherein, a backboard 20 which may be attached at the rear of the base12, a golf ball 22, and a golf club 24. The base 12 may contain theelectronic components of the game 10, the configuration of oneembodiment of which is illustrated schematically in FIG. 13, which isdescribed below. The top surface of the base 12 may include a pluralityof holes or receptacles 26-32 formed therein, with the receptacles 26-30configured to receive the FIGS. 14-18, respectively. The receptacles26-30 and the FIGS. 14-18, respectively, disposed therein may beconfigured such that the FIGS. 14-18 may occupy either a retractedposition as illustrated for FIGS. 14 and 16, or an upwardly extendedposition as shown for FIG. 18 at a given point during game play.Configurations of the openings 14-18 and receptacles 26-30 will bedescribed more thoroughly below. The receptacle 32 may be adapted toreceive the golf ball 22 therein, and may include a ball drop switch 34being positioned within the receptacle 32 so that the ball drop switch34 is closed when the ball 22 putted into the receptacle 32, therebyallowing the game 10 to detect the presence of a golf ball 22 disposedtherein. The closing of the ball drop switch 34 may cause the activationof a ball-return mechanism which may also be disposed within thereceptacle 32. The base 12 may further include a speaker opening in thehousing 38 of the base 12 being located proximate the position of aspeaker enclosed within the housing 38, such that the sound from thespeaker is audible to the participants playing the golf game 10.

[0028] During play of the golf game 10, the top surface of the base 12may be elevated above the surface on which the base 12 is placed. Inorder to allow the ball 22 to roll from the surface on which the base 12rests to the top surface of the housing 38, the golf game 10 may includea ramp over which the golf ball 22 may roll to get to the level of thetop surface of the housing 38. In one embodiment, the ramp may include aplurality of sections 40-44 that may be interconnected to form a singlecontinuous surface over which the golf ball 22 may roll. In order toconnect the ramp sections 40-44 to the housing 38 of the base 12, thehousing 38 may include a plurality of slots 46-50 along the outersurface of the housing 38 and into which edges 52-56 of the rampsections 40-44, respectively, are inserted. In order to insure that thescams between the ramp sections 40-44 are aligned when the edges 53-36are inserted into the slots 46-50, the ramp sections 40-44 may eachinclude a plurality of tabs 58 that engage the lower surfaces of theadjacent ramp sections 40-44 to align the edges of the ramp sections40-44 and provide a substantially continuous upper surface for the ramp.

[0029] As previously discussed, the backboard 20 may be attached to therear of the base 12 and prevent a sharply struck golf ball 22 fromtraveling beyond the base 12. The backboard 20 may include a pluralityof notches 60 and an opening 62, which are engaged by correspondingcomponents on the rear surface of the housing 38 to attach the backboard20 to the base 12. The backboard 20 may further include a cutout portion64 to permit access by the participants to the power switch for the golfgame 10. As seen from the rear in FIG. 2, the rear surface of thehousing 38 may include a plurality of tabs 66, each corresponding to oneof the notches 60 in the backboard 20, and a hook 68 corresponding tothe opening 62. When the backboard 20 is attached to the housing 38, thenotches 60 of the backboard 20 receive the corresponding tabs 66 of thehousing 38 as the backboard 20 is pushed downwardly. When the bottomedge of the backboard 20 engages the bottoms of the tabs 66, the hook 68is disposed within and extends through the opening 62 to prevent thebackboard 20 from being lifted vertically out of the tab 66. In order toremove the backboard 20, the top of the backboard 20 must be pulled awayfrom the housing 38 so that the opening 62 is clear of the hook 68 andthe backboard 20 may be lifted out of engagement with the tabs 66. Thecutout portion 64 is dimensioned so that a participant may operate apower switch 70 that is accessible through an opening 72 in the rearsurface of the housing 38. The cutout portion 64 may also be dimensionedso that indicia 74 on the housing 38 indicating the positions of thepower switch 70 are visible to the participants when the backboard 20 isattached to the housing 38.

[0030] Returning to FIG. 1, the golf club or putter 24 may be configuredsubstantially similar to a real golf club and include a head portion 76,a handle portion 78, and a shaft portion 80. In order to facilitatepackaging and game play, the club 24 may consist of two or moreinterconnected pieces, and include components that facilitate trackingthe score of one of the participants. The shaft portion 80 of the club24 may be divided into an upper portion 82 and a lower portion 84. Theupper portion 82 may include a male connector 86 having a pair of prongs88 with tabs 90 at the end. The lower portion 84 may include acorresponding female connector 92 into which the prongs 88 of the maleconnector 86 are inserted until the tabs 90 are disposed within openings94 in the outer surface of the lower portion 84. Attached in this way,the prongs 88 of the upper portion 82 of the shaft 80 may be retained bythe lower portion 84, and may be disengaged by pressing the tabs 90inwardly until the tabs 90 are clear of the edges of the openings 94such that the prongs 88 may be pulled out of the female connector 92.Tracking of a participant's score may be facilitated by indicia 96, suchas numbers, on the outer surface of the upper portion 82 of the shaft80, and a ring or slider 98 that is slidable on the outer surface of theshaft 80. The slider 98 may include an opening or window 100 throughwhich one of the indicia 96 is visible to the participants. During thecourse of game play of the golf game 10, the participant may slide theslider 98 along the shaft portion 80 and into alignment with the indicia96 as points are accumulated by the participant.

[0031] Turning now to FIG. 3, the base 12 of the golf game 10 is shownwith the housing 38 removed to show the internal components of the base12. The internal components are disposed on a bottom 102 of the base 12,which may have a plurality of anchor posts 104 that engage correspondinganchors on the interior surface of the housing 38 to attach the housing38 to the bottom 102. The FIGS. 14-18 may be disposed within stationarycylinders 106-110 and rotating cylinders 112-116, respectively. Thestationary cylinders 106-110 and the rotating cylinders 112-116 may beadapted so that the rotating cylinders 112-116 may be driven by a motor118 such that the FIGS. 14-18 may be moved from the retracted positionof FIGS. 14 and 16 to the upwardly extended position of FIG. 18 in amanner that is more fully described below. The base 12 further includesthe lower portion 120 of the receptacle 32 into which the golf ball 22is putted. As previously discussed, the ball drop switch 34 may bedisposed within the receptacle 32. A ball-return mechanism disposed inthe receptacle 32 may include a return arm 122 extending into thereceptacle 32, and a gear 123 having a cam cylinder 124 disposed thereonthat may be operatively connected to the return arm 122 and to the motor118 to drive the ball-return mechanism in a manner which will be morefully described below. The base 112 may further include a controller 126in the form of circuitry on printed circuit board 127 and powered by apower source 128, such as a battery pack, configured to control theoperation of the components of the base 12. The base 12 may furtherinclude a speaker 130 operatively connected to the controller 126 forbroadcasting sounds associated with the game play of the golf game 10.

[0032] The FIGS. 14-18, stationary cylinders 106-110, and rotatingcylinders 112-116 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 3-10.For simplification and exemplary purposes, these components will bedescribed with reference to FIG. 14, and the corresponding stationarycylinder 106 and rotating cylinder 112. Generally speaking, thecomponents described for the exemplary FIG. 14 and cylinders 106 and 112correspond to similar components in FIGS. 16 and 18, and cylinders 108,110, 114 and 116, with any differences or potential differences orvariations being noted where appropriate. Referring to FIG. 4, the FIG.14 may include a body 132 disposed on the top surface of a base 134. TheFIG. 14 may further include a pair of tabs 136 extending outwardly overa flat front edge 138 of the base 134, and a lift arm 140 extendingoutwardly from the front of the FIG. 14. As shown in FIG. 5, the FIG. 14may further include an opening 142 in the bottom surface of the base134, and a downwardly extending switch trigger member 144. The opening142 may be useful in retaining the FIG. 14 in the upwardly extendedposition in a manner more fully described below, and the trigger member144 may have use closing a drop switch disposed in the bottom of thestationary cylinder 106 during game play in a manner more fullydescribed below.

[0033] Referring back to FIG. 4, the stationary cylinder 106 isgenerally cylindrical having a flat front wall 146 corresponding to theflat front edge 138 of the FIG. 14. The flat front wall 146 includes twocutout portions 148 proximate the top of the stationary cylinder 106 andcorresponding to the tabs 136 extending from the FIG. 14. The tabs 136and cutout portions 148 may be adapted such that the bottom surfaces ofthe tabs 136 may engage top edges 150 of the cutout portions 148 whenthe FIG. 14 is disposed proximate the top of the stationary cylinder106. The stationary cylinder 106 may further include a vertical slot 152in the flat front wall 146 through which the lift arm 140 of the FIG. 14may extend when the FIG. 14 is disposed within the stationary cylinder106.

[0034] The stationary cylinder 106 may further include a biasing arm 154which may be seen more clearly in FIGS. 6-8. As shown in FIG. 6, thebiasing arm 154 extends upwardly into the stationary cylinder 106through an opening 156 in the bottom wall 158 of the stationary cylinder106. The biasing arm 154 may be pivotally mounted on a shaft 160retained by supports 162 extending downwardly from the bottom wall 158.Referring now to FIG. 7, the biasing arm 154 may include a hook portion164 to which one end of a spring 166 may be attached, with the oppositeend of the spring 166 being attached to a hook 168 extending downwardlyfrom the bottom wall 158 of the stationary cylinder 106. The spring 166may be in tension such that the spring 166 biases the biasing arm 154 torotate counterclockwise as shown in FIG. 7 so that the top of thebiasing arm 154 is biased towards the flat front wall 146 of thestationary cylinder 106. As is further shown in FIG. 8, the bottom wall158 of the stationary cylinder 106 may further include a second opening170 through which a drop switch 172 may be accessible from the interiorof the stationary cylinder 106.

[0035] The upwardly extended and retracted positions of the FIG. 14 willnow be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. Turning to FIG. 9,the FIG. 14 is disposed within the stationary cylinder 106 in theupwardly extended position with the lift arm 140 extending through thevertical slot 152. In order to place the FIG. 14 into the stationarycylinder 106, the biasing arm 154 may be rotated rearwardly with theupper end of the biasing arm 154 being inserted into the opening 142 inthe base 134 of the FIG. 14. The FIG. 14 is retained in the upwardlyextended position by disposing the FIG. 14 toward the flat front wall146 of the stationary cylinder 106 with the tabs 136 engaging the topedges 150 of the flat front wall 146. The force exerted by the biasingarm 154 on the FIG. 14 maintains the engagement of the tabs 136 with thetop edges 150 of the flat front wall 146 against the downward force ofgravity. The FIG. 14 will remain in the upwardly extended position untila rearward force is exerted on the body 132 of the FIG. 14 that issufficient to move the tabs 136 out of engagement with the top edges150. Once the tabs 136 are out of engagement with the top edges 150, theFIG. 14 is free to drop within the stationary cylinder 106 to theretracted position shown in FIG. 10.

[0036] As the FIG. 14 falls to the retracted position, the drop switch172 is closed to signal to the controller 126 that the FIG. 14 isdisposed in the retracted position. The drop switch 172 may include anupper arm 174 having an impact member 176 disposed thereon, and a lowerarm 178 having a contact 180 disposed thereon. When the FIG. 14 is inthe upwardly extended position, the impact member 176 may be disposedwithin the opening 170 with the upper arm 174 being spaced from thecontact 180 so that the drop switch 172 is open. When the FIG. 14 dropsto the retracted position, the trigger member 144 may engage the impactmember 176 to thereby cause the upper arm 174 to deflect downwardly intoengagement with the contact 180, thereby closing the drop switch 172.While the drop switches 172 is illustrated herein as being a mechanicalswitch, it is contemplated that other types of switches which may becapable of detecting the disposition of the FIGS. 14-18 in the upwardlyextended and retracted positions may be useful with a game 10 inaccordance with the invention. For example, photosensitive switches inthe form of optical sensors may be implemented to detect differences inthe amount of light within the stationary cylinder 106 when the FIG. 14is disposed in its alternative positions. Other types of switches, suchas pressure sensors and displacement sensors, having use with the game10 in accordance with the invention will be apparent to those ofordinary skill in the art.

[0037] Referring back to FIG. 4, the rotating cylinder 112 may include abase 182 having an opening 184 on which the stationary cylinder 106 andFIG. 14 are disposed. The opening 184 in the base 182 may facilitate thepositioning of the drop switch 172 therein, and thereby facilitateaccess to the drop switch 172 through the opening 170 in the bottom wall158 of the stationary cylinder 106. The wall of the rotating cylinder112 may constitute a camming surface engaging the lift arm 140 of theFIG. 14 to move the FIG. 14 from the retracted position of FIG. 10 tothe upwardly extended position of FIG. 9 as the rotating cylinder 112 isdriven by the motor 118. The first portion of the rotating cylinder 112may have a lower horizontal edge 186 disposed proximate the base 182 ofthe rotating cylinder 112. The lower horizontal edge 186 is disposed atthe bottom of or below the bottom of the lift arm 140 when the FIG. 14is disposed in the retracted position such that movement of the lowerhorizontal edge 186 past the lift arm 140 will not cause upward movementof the FIG. 14. The second portion of the rotating cylinder 112 may havean inclined surface 188 beginning at the lower horizontal edge 186 andrising upwardly away from the base 182 and terminating at an upperhorizontal edge 190 of the rotating cylinder 112. At the point where theinclined 188 meets the upper horizontal edge 190, the inclined surface188 may terminate in a peak 192 above the level of the upper horizontaledge 190. As the cylinder 112 rotates, the inclined edge 188 engages thelift arm 140 of the FIG. 14 to cause the FIG. 14 to move upwardly withinthe stationary cylinder 106. When the peak 192 approaches the lift arm140, the FIG. 14 is raised high enough for the tabs 136 to clear theupper edges 150, with the forward force of the biasing arm 154 causingthe tabs 136 to move forward and be disposed on the top edges 150. Aspreviously described, in this position the force of the biasing arm 154on the FIG. 14 retains the FIG. 14 in the upwardly extended position.

[0038] As the rotating cylinder 112 continues rotating, the peak 192passes the lift arm 140 with the trailing edge of the peak 192descending to the level of the upper horizontal edge 190. The upperhorizontal edge 190 is disposed at the bottom of or below the lift arm140 when the FIG. 14 is in the upwardly extended position. The upperhorizontal edge 190 extends around the top of the rotating cylinder 112to a fourth portion having an uneven edge 194 including a plurality ofupwardly extended teeth 196. The teeth 196 may extend upwardly wherebythe teeth engage the lift arm 140 without causing the tabs 136 todisengage from the top edges 150 and drop to the retracted position. Asthe uneven edge 194 rotates passed the lift arm 140, the teeth 196engage the lift arm 140 to cause the FIG. 14 to move while in theupwardly extended position. The movement of the FIG. 14 may be adaptedto simulate movement of the FIG. 14 consistent with the theme of thegame 10. While the rotating cylinders 112-116 may be generallyconfigured as described above, the specific configurations of therotating cylinders 112-116 may be varied to enhance game play. Forexample, the lengths of the lower and upper horizontal edges 186 and 190about the circumferences of the cylinders 112-116 may be varied so thatthe FIGS. 14-18 are moved to their upwardly extended positions eithersimultaneously or in a predetermined sequence.

[0039] At the start of a game on the game 10, the controller 126activates the motor 118 to drive the rotating cylinders 112-116 throughone complete rotation to set the FIGS. 14-18 in the upwardly extendedposition. As shown in FIG. 11, the duration of the activation of themotor 118 to drive the rotating cylinders 112-116 may be controlled by arotation limit switch 198 and camming surface 200 on the rotatingcylinder 112. The base 182 of the rotating cylinder 112 may include agear 202 disposed on the bottom surface of the base 182. The teeth ofthe gear 182 may mesh with the teeth of a drive gear 204 that isoperatively coupled to the motor 118 by an intermediate gear train (notshown). The rotation limit switch 198 may be connected to the controller126, and may be similar to the drop switch 172 having an upper arm 174with an impact member 176, and a lower arm 178 with a contact 180 sothat the switches closed when the upper arm 174 engages the contact 180.The camming surface 200 may be disposed on the outer surface of the base182.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 11, the motor 118 will cause the drive gear 204to rotate in a counterclockwise direction, thereby causing the rotatingcylinder 112 to rotate in a clockwise direction as indicated by thearrows. At the point of the rotation shown, the impact member 176 iscoming into engagement with a leading edge 206 of the camming surface200. As the leading edge 206 engages the impact member 176, the upperarm 174 deflects into contact with the contact 180, thereby closing theswitch 198. The controller 126 may detect the closing of the rotationlimit switch 198, which may cause the controller 126 to cause othercomponents of the game 10 to perform functions. For example, thecontroller 126 may cause the speaker 130 to broadcast sound indicativeof the beginning of a new round of the game 10. The motor 118 maycontinue to drive the rotating cylinder 112 as a trailing edge 208 ofthe camming surface 200 approaches the impact member 176 of the rotationlimit switch 198. When the trailing edge 208 rotates passed the impactmember 176, the upper arm 174 deflects back towards its normal openposition and out of contact with the contact 80, thereby opening therotation limit switch 198. The controller 126 may detect the opening ofthe rotation limit switch 198 and the controller may respond bydeactivating the motor 118. When the motor 118 is deactivated, therotating cylinders 112-116 may be positioned with the lower horizontaledges 186 disposed beneath the lift arms 140 of the FIGS. 14-18 so thatthe FIGS. 14-18 are free to drop from their upwardly extended positionsto their retracted positions when their tabs 136 are disengaged from theedges 150 of the stationary cylinders 106-110, respectively.

[0041] As previously discussed, the ball receptacle 32 may have aball-return mechanism disposed therein. Referring to FIG. 12, theball-return mechanism may include the return arm 122 that is engaged bythe return arm cam 124 disposed on the gear 123. The return arm 122 maybe mounted on a shaft 210 that is anchored to the bottom 102 of the base12 by supports (not shown), and include a catch portion 212 disposedwithin the ball receptacle 32. The ball-return mechanism may furtherinclude a post 214 extending upwardly from one of the anchor posts 104through a hole 216 in the return arm 122. The post 214 may have a spring218 disposed thereon and a washer 220 attached to the top of the post214 by a screw or bolt 222. The spring 218 may be precompressed suchthat the spring 218 exerts a downward force on the return arm 122tending to rotate the catch portion 212 upwardly within the ballreceptacle 32.

[0042] The return mechanism may be positioned to receive a golf ball 22deposited in the ball receptacle 32. When the ball 22 drops into thereceptacle 32, the ball 22 engages the ball drop switch 34 to close theswitch 34. The controller 126 may detect the closing of the switch 34and activate the motor 118 to drive the gear 123 along with the rotatingcylinders 112-116. The gear 123 is driven in the direction of the arrowwith a trailing edge 224 approaching the return arm 122. When thetrailing edge 224 rotates passed the return arm 122, the spring 218thrusts the follower end 226 of the return arm 122 downwardly toward thelower edge of the cam 124 and, correspondingly, thrusts the catchportion 212 upwardly to project the ball 22 out of the receptacle 32 andback towards the participants. The motor 118 continues to drive the gear123 and thereby reset the return mechanism as the cam 124 rotates thefollower end 226 upwardly. The gear trains connecting the gear 123 andthe rotating cylinders 112-116 may be configured such that one fullrotation of the rotating cylinders 112-116 corresponds to one fullrotation of the gear 123.

[0043]FIG. 13 is a block diagram of a number of components that may beincorporated into the golf game 10. Referring to FIG. 13, the golf game10 may include the controller 126 implemented on the circuit board 127and containing the game logic and sound generation data implemented viacircuitry contained on the conventional printed circuit board 127, withthe game execution logic and sound generation data being stored directlyon the printed circuit board 127. It should also be appreciated thatalthough the controller 126 may be implemented on the printed circuitboard 127, more complex implementations of the golf game 10 may beimplemented wherein the controller 126 may comprise, among othercomponents, a program memory, a microcontroller or microprocessor (MP),a random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), and aninput/output (I/O) circuit, all of which may be interconnected. Itshould be appreciated that the controller 126 may include multiplemicroprocessors. Similarly, the memory of the controller 126 may includemultiple RAMs and multiple program memories, depending on the complexityand requirements of a specific implementation. It should also beappreciated that the I/O circuit may include a number of different typesof I/O circuits, such as sound generation circuits, video generationcircuit, odor generation circuitry, and the like. The RAM(s), ROM(s) andprogram memories may be implemented as semi-conductor memories,magnetically readable memories, and/or optically readable memories, forexample.

[0044]FIG. 13 illustrates that the controller 126 may be operativelycoupled to drop switches 172, 230 and 232 disposed within thereceptacles 26-30, respectively, the power switch 70, the ball dropswitch 34, the rotation limit switch 198, the motor 118, and the speaker130, each of those components being so coupled via a respective directline or conductor. Different connection schemes could be used. Inaddition, the power switch 70 is operatively coupled to the power source128. When the power switch 70 is in the power-on position, the powersource 128 provides power to the controller 126, circuitry and othercomponents. Input signals produced by the switches 34, 172, 198, 230 and232 are output to the controller 126 for processing the game executionlogic. Depending on the processing performed, the circuitry of thecontroller 126 generates and outputs sound generation signals to thespeaker 130, wherein the speaker 130 translates the output signals intosounds which can be heard by the participants of the golf game 10. Thegeneral and specific technologies relating to electronic soundgeneration circuitry, and the software required to run such devices, arewell-known to those skilled in the electronic and software arts, andtherefore the specific details of the digital processing and memoryportions of such circuitry, and the specific details of any softwarerequired for the specific application will not be described furtherherein. Signals from the switches 34, 70 and 198 may cause the circuitryof the controller 126 to activate and deactivate the motor 118 asdescribed more fully herein.

[0045]FIG. 14 is a flowchart of a main game-play routine 300 that may bestored in the memory of the controller 126. Referring to FIG. 14, themain game-play routine 300 may begin operation at a block 302 whereinone of the participants may turn on the power to the golf game 10 bymoving the power switch 70 to the power-on position. After the powerswitch 70 is set to the power-on position, control passes to a block 304where the golf game 10 may be initialized to begin game play. During theinitialization of the golf game 10, the controller 126 may activate themotor 118 to rotate the rotating cylinders 112-116 and, consequently,move any of the FIGS. 14-18 disposed in the retracted position to theupwardly extending position. As previously discussed, the edges 186,188, 190 and 194 of the rotating cylinders 112-116 may be configuredsuch that each of the FIGS. 14-18 moves from the retracted position tothe upwardly extended position in a predetermined sequence during theinitialization process. While the motor 118 drives the rotatingcylinders 112-116, the controller 126 may transmit output signals to thespeaker 130 causing the speaker 130 to play an opening statement orother sounds indicating the start of the golf game 10. For example, aseach of the FIGS. 14-18 moves to the upwardly extended position, thecontroller 126 may transmit signals that cause the speaker 130 tobroadcast a verbal message introducing the corresponding one of theFIGS. 14-18 to the participants. As the rotating cylinders 112-116 arebeing driven, the motor 118 may also drive the gear 123 and cam 124 toactivate the ball-return mechanism and eject any ball 22 that may bedisposed within the receptacle 32 at the time the power switch 70 ismoved to the power-on position. As the rotating cylinders 112-116continue to be driven by the motor 118, the trailing edge 208 of the camsurface 200 approaches the rotation limit switch 198 which has beenclosed by the leading edge 206 of the cam surface 200. When the trailingedge 208 moves passed the impact member 176 of the rotation limit switch198, the opening of the switch 198 is detected by the controller 126,which in turn deactivates the motor 118, thereby stopping the rotatingcylinders 112-116 and the gear 123. At this point, the golf game 10 maybe ready for the participants to begin putting the golf ball 22 towardthe base 12 using the club 24.

[0046] Once the golf game 10 is initialized, and the participants havebeen prompted to putt the golf ball 22 towards the base 12, thecontroller 126 may set a timer for a predetermined time period withinwhich a participant is required to knock down one of the FIGS. 14-16 andclose one of the drop switches 172, 230, 232, respectively, or to puttthe ball 22 into the receptacle 32 and close the ball drop switch 34. Ifthe timer times out at a block 306 without the participant closing oneof the switches 34, 172, 230 or 232, control may pass to a block 308wherein the controller 126 may transmit output signals to the speaker130 causing the speaker 130 to re-prompt the participants to putt thegolf ball 22 toward the base 12. The prompting message broadcast overthe speaker 130 may be adapted to be consistent with the general themeof the game 10. For example, if the FIGS. 14-18 are configured with theappearance of gophers, the prompting messages may simulate encouragingor taunting messages in voices that are unique to each of the FIGS.14-18. Moreover, the controller 126 may transmit different outputsignals to the speaker 130 based on the status of the drop switches 172,230 and 232. For example, if the FIG. 14 is in the retracted position asshown in FIG. 1, the controller 126 may be configured to detect theclosing of the drop switch 172 and to transmit output signals to thespeaker 130 that simulate the gopher of FIG. 14 speaking from within thereceptacle 26, such as with an echo. Alternatively, where the FIG. 18 isin the upwardly extended position as shown in FIG. 1, the controller 126may be configured to detect that the drop switch 232 is open and totransmit output signals to the speaker 130 to simulate the gopher ofFIG. 18 speaking while sticking its head out of the receptacle 30.

[0047] Eventually, a participant will putt the golf ball 22 toward thebase 12 at a block 310. If the putted ball 22 does not cause one of theswitches 34, 172, 230 or 232 to be closed, the timer may time out at ablock 312 and control may pass to a block 314 to reprompt theparticipants in a similar manner as described for block 308. If one ofthe switches 34, 172, 230 and 232 is closed, control passes to a block316 wherein the controller 126 may determine which of the switches 34,172, 230 and 232 has been closed. If one of the drop switches 172, 230or 232 has been closed by the putted ball 22 impacting one of the FIGS.14-18 such that the one of the FIGS. 14-18 drops to its retractedposition and closes the corresponding drop switch 172, 230 or 232, thecontroller 126 may transmit output signals to the speaker 130 causingthe speaker 130 to play a sound corresponding to the one of the FIGS.14-18 being knocked down. After the knock-down sound is played at thespeaker 130, the controller 126 may reset the timer and evaluate thatstatus of the timer at block 306.

[0048] If none of the drop switches 172, 230 and 232 has been closed,control passes to a block 320 wherein the controller 126 may transmitoutput signals to the speaker 130, causing the speaker 130 to play asound characteristic of holing out the putt. The controller 126 may beprogrammed to cause the speaker 130 to play the same sound each time theball drop switch 34 closes, or it plays different sounds depending onhow many FIGS. 14-18 are disposed in the retracted position asdetermined by the number of the figure drop switches 172, 230 and 232that are closed. For example, if none of the figure drop switches 172,230 and 232 are closed, the controller 126 may cause the speaker 130 toplay a sound corresponding to the participant putting the ball 22 in thereceptacle 32 on the first putt. Conversely, if all the figure dropswitches 172, 230 and 232 are closed, the speaker 130 may play a soundindicative of the numerous attempts required by the participant to puttthe ball 22 into the receptacle 32. The speaker 130 may also play adifferent sound if one or two of the figure drop switches 172, 230 and232 are closed. When the ball 22 has been holed-out by a participantputting the ball 22 into the receptacle 32, and the corresponding soundhas been broadcast at block 320, control passes back to the block 304 toperform the initialization of the golf game 10 in preparation for theparticipants playing the next round of the game. The steps of theroutine may continue to be executed until a participant moves the powerswitch 70 to the power-off position.

[0049] While the game 10 is illustrated in the drawing figures anddisclosed herein as being an electronic golf game having a plurality ofgopher figures extending out of gopher holes, it will be understood thatthe game 10 may have any configuration wherein a plurality of figuresextend upwardly from receptacles within a base of the game with aseparate receptacle being provided into which a projected game piece isintended to be deposited. For example, while the game is being disclosedas being an electronic game, the game may be manually operated whereinthe participants move the figures between the retracted position and theupwardly extended position either by grasping and moving the figures, orby inverting the base of the game to allow the figures to move from theretracted position to the upwardly extended position. Moreover, the game10 may be configured to simulate other sports or games in which aprojected game piece is deposited in a receptacle, such as hockey,baseball, basketball, shuffleboard, and the like, with the figures beingconfigured to correspond to the theme of the selected sport or game.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic game wherein participants taketurns projecting a ball in an attempt to put the ball in a hole, theelectronic game comprising: a ball; a plurality of game figures; and abase comprising: a plurality of first receptacles disposed in an uppersurface of the base, each first receptacle being adapted to receive oneof the game figures and to retain the corresponding figure alternatelyin an upwardly extended position and in a retracted position; a figurelift mechanism being adapted to move the plurality of game figures fromthe retracted position to the upwardly extended position; a plurality offigure drop switches, each figure drop switch being disposed within oneof the first receptacles and having a first figure state when thecorresponding one of the game figures is disposed in the upwardlyextended position and a second figure state when the corresponding oneof the game figures is disposed in the retracted position; a secondreceptacle adapted to receive the ball; a ball drop switch disposedwithin the second receptacle and having a first ball state when the ballis not disposed in the second receptacle and a second ball state whenthe ball is disposed in the second receptacle; a ball return mechanismdisposed within the second receptacle and being adapted to project theball disposed in the second receptacle from the second receptacle; amotor operatively connected to the figure lift mechanism and to the ballreturn mechanism; a speaker being adapted to output sounds; and acontroller operatively coupled to the plurality of figure drop switches,the ball drop switch, the motor and the speaker, the controller beingprogrammed to detect the first and the second ball states of the balldrop switch, the controller being programmed to activate the motor todrive the lift mechanism and the ball return mechanism upon detectingthe second ball state of the ball drop switch, the controller beingprogrammed to detect the first and the second figure states of theplurality of figure drop switches, the controller being programmed tocause the speaker to output a first prompt sound corresponding to one ofthe game figures being disposed in the upwardly extended position whenthe controller detects the corresponding one of the game figure dropswitches having the first figure state, and the controller beingprogrammed to cause the speaker to output a second prompt soundcorresponding to one of the game figures being disposed in the retractedposition when the controller detects the corresponding one of the gamefigure drop switches having the second figure state.
 2. An electronicgame as defined in claim 1, wherein the ball drop switch and theplurality of figure drop switches comprise an optical sensor.
 3. Anelectronic game as defined in claim 1, wherein the ball drop switch andthe plurality of figure drop switches comprise a pressure sensor.
 4. Anelectronic game as defined in claim 1, wherein the ball drop switch andthe plurality of figure drop switches comprise a displacement sensor. 5.An electronic game as defined in claim 1, wherein the first prompt soundand the second prompt sound corresponding to one of the game figures aredistinct from the first prompt sounds and the second prompt soundscorresponding to the other of the game figures.
 6. An electronic game asdefined in claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to cause thespeaker to output one of the first prompt sounds and the second promptsounds after a predetermined period of time in which all of the figuredrop switches and the ball drop switch do not change states.
 7. Anelectronic game as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller isprogrammed to cause the speaker to output an end-of-game sound upondetecting the second ball state of the ball drop switch.
 8. Anelectronic game as defined in claim 7, wherein the end-of-game soundoutput by the speaker corresponds to the number of figure drop switchesdetected by the controller to be in the second figure state.
 9. Anamusement game for use by at least one game participant, comprising: agame piece adapted to be projected by the at least one participant; aplurality of game figures; and a game base comprising: a plurality offirst receptacles disposed in an upper surface of the game base, eachfirst receptacle being adapted to receive one of the game figures and toretain the corresponding figure alternately in an upwardly extendedposition and in a retracted position, and a second receptacle adapted toreceive the game piece, wherein each of the plurality of game figures isadapted to engage the corresponding one of the plurality of firstreceptacles when the game figure is disposed in the upwardly extendedposition such that the game figure disengages from the corresponding oneof the plurality of first receptacles and moves to the retractedposition when the game figure is impacted by the projected game piece.10. An amusement game as defined in claim 9, wherein the game basefurther comprises a figure lift mechanism being adapted to move theplurality of game figures from the retracted position to the upwardlyextended position.
 11. An amusement game as defined in claim 10, whereineach of the game figures includes a body, a figure base disposed at thebottom of the body, a tab extending outwardly from the body and thefigure base, and a lift arm extending outwardly from the body and thefigure base, and the figure lift mechanism comprises: a hollowstationary cylinder having a top edge and a vertical slot, one of thegame figures being disposed within the stationary cylinder with the liftarm extending outwardly from the stationary cylinder through thevertical slot, and wherein the tab engages the top edge when the gamefigure is disposed in the upwardly extended position to retain the gamefigure in the upwardly extend position, and a hollow rotatable cylinderhaving an inclined surface, the one of the game figures and thestationary cylinder being disposed within the rotatable cylinder, theinclined surface being adapted to engage the lift arm to cause the gamefigure to move from the retracted position to the upwardly extendedposition when the rotatable cylinder rotates.
 12. An amusement game asdefined in claim 11, wherein the game base further comprises a motoroperatively connected to the figure lift mechanism and being adapted torotate the rotating cylinder.
 13. An amusement game as defined in claim9, wherein the game base further comprises a game piece return mechanismdisposed within the second receptacle and being adapted to project thegame piece disposed in the second receptacle from the second receptacle.14. An amusement game as defined in claim 13, wherein the game piecereturn mechanism comprises: a return arm pivotally mounted to the gamebase and having return end disposed within the second receptacle and acam follower end disposed at the opposite end of the return arm as thereturn end, a spring engaging the return arm and biasing the return armto rotate in a direction whereby the return end moves upwardly and thecam follower end moves downwardly; and a gear having a cam disposedthereon, the cam having an upper edge engaging the cam follower end ofthe return arm to elevate the cam follower end from a minimum elevationto a maximum elevation as the gear rotates in a first direction, andwherein the biasing force of the spring thrusts the cam follower enddownwardly when a trailing edge of the cam rotates past the cam followerend.
 15. An amusement game as defined in claim 14, wherein the game basefurther comprises a motor operatively connected to the gear and beingadapted to cause the gear to rotate in the first direction.
 16. Anamusement game as defined in claim 9, wherein the game base furthercomprises: a plurality of figure drop switches, each figure drop switchbeing disposed within one of the first receptacles and having a firstfigure state when the corresponding one of the game figures is disposedin the upwardly extended position and a second figure state when thecorresponding one of the game figures is disposed in the retractedposition; a speaker being adapted to output sounds; and a controlleroperatively coupled to the plurality of figure drop switches and thespeaker, the controller being programmed to detect the first and thesecond figure states of the plurality of figure drop switches, thecontroller being programmed to cause the speaker to output a firstprompt sound corresponding to one of the game figures being disposed inthe upwardly extended position when the controller detects thecorresponding one of the game figure drop switches having the firstfigure state, and the controller being programmed to cause the speakerto output a second prompt sound corresponding to one of the game figuresbeing disposed in the retracted position when the controller detects thecorresponding one of the game figure drop switches having the secondfigure state.
 17. An amusement game as defined in claim 9, wherein thegame base further comprises: a figure lift mechanism being adapted tomove the plurality of game figures from the retracted position to theupwardly extended position; a game piece drop switch disposed within thesecond receptacle and having a first game piece state when the gamepiece is not disposed in the second receptacle and a second game piecestate when the game piece is disposed in the second receptacle; a motoroperatively connected to the figure lift mechanism; and a controlleroperatively coupled to the game piece drop switch and the motor, thecontroller being programmed to detect the first and the second gamepiece states of the game piece drop switch, and the controller beingprogrammed to activate the motor to drive the lift mechanism upondetecting the second game piece state of the game piece drop switch. 18.An amusement game as defined in claim 9, wherein the game base furthercomprises: a game piece drop switch disposed within the secondreceptacle and having a first game piece state when the game piece isnot disposed in the second receptacle and a second game piece state whenthe game piece is disposed in the second receptacle; a game piece returnmechanism disposed within the second receptacle and being adapted toproject the game piece disposed in the second receptacle from the secondreceptacle; a motor operatively connected to the game piece returnmechanism; and a controller operatively coupled to the game piece dropswitch and the motor, the controller being programmed to detect thefirst and the second game piece states of the game piece drop switch,the controller being programmed to activate the motor to drive the gamepiece return mechanism upon detecting the second ball state of the gamepiece drop switch.
 19. An amusement game as defined in claim 9, whereinthe game base further comprises: a game piece drop switch disposedwithin the second receptacle and having a first game piece state whenthe game piece is not disposed in the second receptacle and a secondgame piece state when the game piece is disposed in the secondreceptacle, a speaker being adapted to output sounds; and a controlleroperatively coupled to the game piece drop switch and the speaker, thecontroller being programmed to detect the first and the second gamepiece states of the game piece drop switch, and the controller beingprogrammed to cause the speaker to output an end-of-game sound when thecontroller detects the game piece drop switch having the second gamepiece state.
 20. An amusement game as defined in claim 19, wherein theend-of-game sound output by the speaker corresponds to the number ofgame figures being disposed in the retracted position.
 21. A method ofgame play for an electronic game wherein participants attempt to projecta game piece into a first receptacle in a base of the electronic game,the method comprising: providing a plurality of game figures and aplurality of second receptacles adapted to receive one of the gamefigures, the game figures being disposed in an upwardly extendedposition within the second receptacles; prompting a participant toproject the game piece toward the first receptacle; determining whetherthe projected game piece engaged one of the game figures such that thegame figure moved from the upwardly extended position to a retractedposition within the corresponding second receptacle; outputting aknocked down figure sound corresponding to the one of the game figuresengaged by the projected game piece and moved to the retracted positionafter determining that the one of the game figures was engaged by thegame piece; determining whether the projected game piece is disposedwithin the first receptacle; and outputting an end-of-round sound afterdetermining that the game piece is disposed in the first receptacle. 22.A method of game play for an electronic game as defined in claim 21,further comprising ejecting the game piece from the first receptacleafter determining that the game piece is disposed in the firstreceptacle.
 23. A method of game play for an electronic game as definedin claim 21, further comprising moving at least one of the game figuresfrom the retracted position to the upwardly extended position afterdetermining that the game piece is disposed in the first receptacle. 24.A method of game play for an electronic game as defined in claim 21,further comprising: determining that a predetermined amount of time haselapsed without any of the game figures moving from the upwardlyextended position to the retracted position and without the game piecebeing disposed in the first receptacle; and re-prompting a participantto project the game piece toward the first receptacle after determiningthat the predetermined amount of time has elapsed.
 25. A method of gameplay for an electronic game as defined in claim 24, further comprising;determining that one of the game figures is disposed in the upwardlyextending position after determining that the predetermined amount oftime has elapsed; and outputting a first prompt sound corresponding tothe one of the game figures being disposed in the upwardly extendedposition after determining that the one of the game figures is disposedin the upwardly extended position.
 26. A method of game play for anelectronic game as defined in claim 24, further comprising; determiningthat one of the game figures is disposed in the retracted position afterdetermining that the predetermined amount of time has elapsed; andoutputting a second prompt sound corresponding to one of the gamefigures being disposed in the retracted position after determining thatthe one of the game figures is disposed in the retracted position.